IMPORTANT AIRBORNE LEAP INTO HOLLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 224, 19 September 1944, Page 5

IMPORTANT AIRBORNE LEAP INTO HOLLAND

MODERN MEANS EMPLOYED TO SHORTEN PRESENT WAR BRITISH ARMY MOVING ON Retd. 11.40 p.m. London, Sept. 18. A modern method of war, aimed at shortening the war in the West, and obviating a long winter campaign, was launched yesterday afternoon, when the First Allied Airborne Army (General Brereton), in force, landed on Holland, flying over a line held by the Second British Army (General Dempsey) beyond the Escaut Canal, which it had forced on Saturday in three places. Latest news, though unofficial, says that the landing was extremely successful, caught the Germans by surprise, and several Dutch towns have been liberated. Troops which landed, however, met with strong resistance from virile German troops, as they moved toward their first objectives after landing. The exact location of the landings have not been disclosed, but the German news agency says: “Strong Allied airborne forces landed in the areas of Tilburg, Eindhoven and Nijmegen. German forces immediately went into action.’’ The Allied operation is described as another attempt to smash the German barrier position between the mouth of the Scheldt and the Meuse. Before the departure of the airborne armada. Air Vice-Mar-shal Longhurst told the airmen: “You are about to participate in an airborne operation transcending in importance even the. one launched on D-Day itself. It is an operation vital to the outcome of the land battle, and success may mean all the difference between a rapid decision in the West and a protracted winter campaign.’’ Air-Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder. Deputy Allied Supreme Commander, paid a surprise visit and watched Stirlings tow off packed gliders. Meanwhile, on the land below, the British Second Army, already across the Escaut Canal, launched an attack, which was preceded by the heaviest artillery barrage seen on the Western Front s:nee the war began. The barrage thundered down and lifted at a rate of 200 yards every minute. Behind it came the British infantry, against stiff opposition. Latest news puts the British Army as much as seven miles inside the Dutch border, and still advancing. Canadian troops have launched an all-out assault on the port of Boulogne after heavy bombers had dropped more than 3500 tons of bombs. The attack on the port of Brest continues. Paris radio, however, declared that Brest had been liberated, the Americans taking 16,000 prisoners. Berlin said that American infantry and tanks were operating in the eastern and western districts of Brest, which was being bombed. Bad weather is hindering the Germans in their efforts to bring reinforcements to bear on the breaches caused in the Siegfried Line by the American First Army, near Stolberg. There is no fresh news from the American Third Army, last reported as having taken Nancy and moved northward in an effort to outflank Metz. The Seventh Army, further south, is massing for an assault on the Belfort Gap.

The British United Press correspondent who was over the invasion area in a plane dropping the paratroopers said: “We were the second group in and could see the going had rot been easy. There were some planes burning below us and others had crash-landed, evidently brought down by German flak.” The New Zealander, SquadronLeader J. H. Iremonger, who was a leader of a glider stream, said it was a fantastic sight. Another New Zealander, Squadron-Leader D. S. Gibb, of Canterbury, who piloted a towplane, said he was amazed at the speed with which the glider troops went into action after crash-landing. The percentage of losses in the skytrains carrying the paratroopers was the lowest of any airborne operations of the war. says the Associated Press correspondent from an advanced headquarters. Troop Carrier Command and all members of the staff, including General Brereton, were delighted at the landings* which are described as successful befond expectations. The British United Press correspondent with the airborne forces says the opposition was comparatively light in the southern-most landing area. Small arms and mortar fire ceased within half an hour, and within an hour the airborne troops had liberated ’ ’lages, from which the Germans fled. FAIaMI army represented Men from the famous Seventh Armoured Divis on of Field-Marshal Montgomery’s historic Eighth Army were among the airborne forces in Holland. The German news agency adaeu: “Allied armies, protected by* a vast air umbrella landed at noon. Paratroops were followed by a landing from countless gliders.” British, American and Allied ai - borne troops* including Dutch special troops, participated in the air invasion. Hundreds of Allied planes supported the operation before and

after the landings, attacking enemy positions, airfields, barracks and antiaircraft gun sites. The weather over Holland was clear, with good visibility. About 840 Firing Fortresses, escorted by about 190 Mustangs, attacked enemy anti-aircraft positions in Holland. No enemy planes were encountered More thfr 1000 gliders, troop-carry-ing planes l>na towing planes partic’rated in the landing. Spitfires and Typhoons provided an operational

escort. This was the first air-borne a a operation by General Eisenhower's “ -1 forces since the orginal descents on d , the Cheroeu-g Peninsula and the area ” 11 of the Orone River on D Day. - THREAT TO GERMAN RIGHT !. * FLANK. „ A correspondent says the invasion t< . is a definite threat to ihe German hope fl a of anchoring their right flank against ci s the sea in an area where there is a tl . network of water courses and in- , undated areas to render difficult Allied ground progress. e As part of the air hammering prel3 ceding the assault from the sky, 200 , Lancasters and Mosquitoes attacked R airfields in Holland and Germany the . night before, with good results, and . ; during the night Bomber Command _ I "heavies” and a small force ol Mosquitoes attacked enemy targets in „ j the Dortmund area of the Ruhr. S Paratroopers on the night of Sep- ? j tember 16 were in high spirits at lr . carrier bases where tney bivouacked, m Q They were all eager for the jump, be- _. , lieving it will shorten the war. A i, ;* private from Michigan who had previ- d “ ously jumped in Sicily, Salerno and k , France, said: "But 1 want to make Jj my last jump over Berlin.” q n GRANDSTAND VIEW. a d A British United Press correspondent at Bth Air Force headquarters said that fighter pilots in the vanguard of the air-borne invasion had a grandstand view of the actual dropping of paratroopers. One of them said: * "The paratroops dropped from their ® planes as if snot from guns. I frequently could see upwarus of 400 in R !; tne air. 1 could not see anyone on the roads in the vicinity of the drop area. A except a tew civilians watching and « waving.” n Another fighter pilot described thei a .‘ landing of gliders: "The gliders » . a crowded up on fields almost wingtip “ to wingtip. 1 watched one coming in f •? fo- a landing head for a small open 0 !Q space between two others. The’e was + so little loom that 1 v.as sure he f would not make it safely, but the t glider pilot just set down the machine f with aoeut six inches clearance on e either side." v Fighters swarmed down on enemy n gun emplacements. They carried frag- si mentation bombs and extra ammum- a lion, and frequently operated from d roof-top height. d MOST DARING OPERATION. k One American radio reporter who J flew over the invasion area stated: n “We were expecting an air-borne invasion for some time. To-day conditions were right. This operation is one of the most dar.ng attempted dur- ti • ing the campaign in western Europe, k i but the paratroops participating were t ’ not suicide troops. They will be tight- " ing on when the Allied troops ove.’ a wnom they flew to-day link up with s< them.” d Reuter's correspondent who flew it in one of the tow planes said: "The slandings were carried out under ideal o troop-carrfer weather-perfect target s. visibility. with clouds just low h enough tj provide some cover for the | carrier.'-. I was most impressed with fl i what might lp termed the uneventful- fl I ness of the entire operation. Jt was t later described as “eminently satisfac- S' | tory.” with~los.se.; practically negligible <’ in view of the size of the operation. f' A combined Press representative h from somewhere In Holland. ir> a dis- £ natch last, night, stated that 50 strong M units of the Ist Ailed Air-borne Army 1 swooped down near the German t< border Losses from flak were small- u a strong tighter and bomber support b ensuring the success of the operation, h “B.v to-night the enemy had been tl cleared from several Dutch towns and b British and American troops were I iy established,” correspondent added, s i- Immediately after the Allied an- t: ?r nouncenunts of the air-borne landings y. in Holland, tl e German controlled Hil- n ■d versum radio stated; "Fighting on the c ■d River Gheel (which is behind the air- a !- home forces' reached a new pitch of b i- intens iy. Americans attacked heavily E in the Valk ntu r g a~ea. The Allies u - are concentrating against a narrow ir - | front in order to punch a way through A d'thp German l.nes.” ii ill The Ce’ir.an news agency says: r